For many actors, the opportunity to perform a work by Shakesepeare elicits both excitement and trepidation. Despite the fact that performing one of the playwright's works is often the highlight of an actor's career, the Elizabethan texts can seem antiquated and inaccessible to some. Masque and Gown took the plunge in performing "Twelfth Night".
The play is a romantic comedy full of mischievous drunkards and love-struck fools who misrepresent themselves and misperceive one another. After she and her brother are shipwrecked on separate islands, Viola (played by Jessica Kohn '13) must disguise herself as a male servant to Orsino, the Duke of Illyria (Judah Isseroff '13). She becomes his trusted messenger and is sent to the grieving maiden whom he loves, Olivia (Kacey Berry '13), who falls in love with Viola, whom she believes is a man. A love triangle ensues: Orsino loves Olivia, Olivia loves Viola, and Viola loves Orsino.
Overall, the cast was familiarized with the intent of Shakespeare's original text and were able to convey the second-level meaning of some elliptical lines clearly by adopting certain intonations; very little of the play's humor fell on deaf ears.
The musical stylings of the production's composer and musical director Malachi Graham 1'12 rendered "Twelfth Night" even more accessible. The contemporary-sounding compositions underscore the romantic and comic tone of specific scenes and are sure to excite with the inclusion of "Sleepless" by the Decemberists and "Souverain" by Andrew Bird. Graham plays all of the music herself on guitar and sings several songs as well.
The best moments of the production featured Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (played by first-years Jared Littlejohn and Evan Horwitz, respectively) to mock in a Malvolio (Xander Johnson '14) with their other partners-in-crime. Maria (Sasha Davis '13) tricks Malvolio into wearing yellow cross-guarded stockings in a misguided attempt to woo Olivia, who hates both yellow and cross-guarded stockings. The cast takes full advantage of these moments of hilarity. The characters of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Malvolio, Maria, and their follies are what make this production of "Twelfth Night" truly great.
While the comedy was convincing, the romance could have used a bit more fervor. In Shakespeare's plays, those in love become hastily besotted. Staying true to script, the actors spoke as if they were mawkishly in love, but at times their romance came off as mechanical and disconnected. Nevertheless, Viola, Olivia and Orsino each scored laughs when their absurd love triangle culminates in awkward revelations.
Regardless of its weaker moments, "Twelfth Night" is certainly worth the price of the $1 ticket. The cast makes Shakespeare accessible enough that the audience can sit back and relax, knowing they will be thoroughly entertained.
Tickets can be purchased immediately before the two remaining shows—tonight at 8 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m.—at the Memorial Hall box office at Pickard Theater.